Token Theatre Friends

In this episode, Jose speaks to Brandon Victor Dixon about his work in MacGyver The Musical. The Tony, Emmy, and Grammy-nominated artist talks about his work on stage, on screen, and as a producer. He also shares his advice for young people of color who want to be in the performing arts. 

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In this episode, Jose speaks to Carol Mazhuvancheril, the playwright and star of Song of Joy, currently running at The Tank. Mazhuvancheril draws from his personal history to craft a moving tale of immigration, culture, and love for one's family. The playwright actor/speaks about the process of turning his life into a play, how he deals with anxiety, and his love for all things Titanic.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to Rona Siddiqui, the Music Director of A Strange Loop. A composer first, as she tells Jose, Siddiqui talks about what it was like to interpret Michael R. Jackson's award-winning music and the elements she played with in both the Off-Broadway and Broadway cast recordings. Siddiqui also speaks about the importance of honesty in storytelling and who she's looking forward to meeting at the Grammys, where the album is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to Annie Fang, one of the stars of Your Own Personal Exegesis by Julia May Jonas. Fang plays Beatrice, one of the members of a church youth group in New Jersey, where she hopes she will be able to find answers to her problems. The darkly comedic work touches upon questions of what it means to believe and ultimately who is in charge of your salvation. Unlike her character, Fang isn't religious, but the two share similar questions about what it means to be human and find their purpose. Fang talks about how studying economics led her to perform, and how Kelli O'Hara, Wayne Thiebaud, and Mark Rothko, have shown her the meaning of the divine.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to Ashley Blanchet who plays Maria in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of The Sound of Music. Blanchet speaks about playing one of the most iconic characters in musical history and making it her own. The conversation was recorded over the Thanksgiving holiday, which gives Blanchet to talk about the many things she's grateful for. 

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In this episode, Jose speaks to multidisciplinary artist Migguel Anggelo about his album English with an Accent and the eponymous theatrical piece he'll present at Lincoln Center in early December. The vibrant artist shared his insights on working with ideas from his dreams, Paloma Faith & Lady Gaga, and the importance of finding collaborators you love, like the brilliant Jaime Lozano. 

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In this episode, Jose speaks to The Bengsons about Sovereignty Hymns, a series of spirituals they wrote in which they address a woman's right to choose when it comes to reproductive liberty. The Hymns were first released by La Jolla Playhouse shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022. Driven by powerful personal stories and The Bengsons' exhilarating compositions, the songs became the alarm that reminds us that, as Abigail says, artists can be first responders. As always, a conversation with Abigail and Shaun is a balm for the soul, so enjoy and bask in their wisdom and light.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to actors Linedy Genao & Brandon Espinoza who starred as Gloria and Emilio Estefan in On Your Feet! at Paper Mill Playhouse. They discuss the different paths they took to become actors and what they learned playing the real-life couple. Genao, who was recently cast as the lead in Bad Cinderella shares how she puts her banking skills to good use in theater, and Espinoza shares what it was like growing up onstage.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to actors Avanthika Srinivasan & R.J. Foster currently playing the leads in a revised Candida by Gingold Theatrical Group. The actors talk about falling in love with performance, starring in new works vs. revivals, as well as the ways in which they say goodbye to characters after a production ends its run. The play directed by David Staller runs through Nov. 19.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to members of the Belgian troupe FC Bergman. The boundary-pushing collective are bringing their majestic "300 el x 50 el x 30" el to BAM in Brooklyn this month. They talk about the ways in which they combine cinema and theater, some of their influences, and how this work, which they created a decade ago, speaks to them today.

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